Communication programs for controlling the transmission of data files from a computer, including portable computers, are known. These programs typically retrieve selected files and control a communication interface to transmit the selected file to a remote site. These programs may also be activated to receive data transmitted from a remote site to the computer. In that event, the communication program assembles the transmitted data into a file for use and storage within the computer. Typically, these programs communicate and control the interface for receipt and transmission of the data and may detect and correct errors in the communicated data.
Many computers are capable of communicating data in a variety of communication modes. For example, a computer may communicate data through a public switched telephone network (PSTN), sometimes called land lines, or some wireless communication device such as a packet radio or a cellular telephone. To perform the communication, the communication network or devices may be coupled to the computer through input/output (I/O) ports or other communication interface circuitry associated with the computer. The user uses a communication program to select one of the communication devices coupled to the computer. The program controls the communication interface to communicate the data through the I/O port or interface and the selected communication device to the remote site. While the programs previously known are capable of supporting more than one communication device, they are not capable of evaluating the most efficient device for transmitting data. What is needed is a program that assists a user in evaluating which device transmits the data in the most cost or time efficient manner.